Hotels, Freedom Trail, Whale Watching, etc., etc.

Hi all, my wife and I will be in Boston w/ 9 yo %26amp; 4/5 yo. We are looking for insight into the following questions...

1) We would like to visit MOS, Freedom Trail, Fenway Park and possibly the Aquarium. We are looking at staying either in the Financial District or Back Bay. Any suggestions?

2) We plan on spending a full day exploring the Freedom Trail. Is it feasible to start the day at the Public Garden and work our way along the Freedom Trail, or, would this be considered ';too much';?

3) Would we want to take a walking tour? or a trolley tour? We are interested in going at our own pace w/ stops at shops, eateries, and all the ';tourist hot spots.'; We are looking to spend anywhere from 4 to 8 hours exploring and don%26#39;t know by what means is the best plan.

4) Is it feasible to do the New England Aquarium and MOS in one day? We usually like to do the planetarium and Imax shows as well as all of the exhibits while visiting Science Museums, so, MOS would be a higher priority for us than the Aquarium.

5) Finally, are whale watching tours out of Boston any more or less recommendable than the whale watching tours out of Cape Cod? We will be heading to Cape Cod from Boston and don%26#39;t know if we should save a Whale Watching tour for then. Any recommendations?

Thank you all very much for your time and opinions. I value them very much!

Hotels, Freedom Trail, Whale Watching, etc., etc.

The ';full'; Freedom Trail is 2.5 miles and generally takes the better part of a full day. For some folks that may be doable, but you%26#39;ve got three young ones in tow, so don%26#39;t see how THEY could put up with that. Given that, I would split the Freedom Trail into 3 pieces spread out over 3 days - a couple of hours each day: Boston Common to Fanueil Hall, Fanueil Hall to the North End, and finally, Charlestown. You could take a ferry back and forth to the latter That, perhaps, the kids could manage.

For each partial day, then you could add one of the indoor activities, like the MOS or Aquarium or Children%26#39;s Museum. I certainly wouldn%26#39;t try to squeeze two into the same day.

Whale Watch starting point should be based on what%26#39;s more convenient to you. Although it%26#39;s a little closer from the Cape to Stellweggen Bank, the whole trip takes the same time. By the way, I suspect you two little ones may be too young to endure a half day boat trip.

Hope this helps.

Hotels, Freedom Trail, Whale Watching, etc., etc.

I would opt for Back Bay over the Financial District , just because it is a more vibrant area all day. The Financial District gets pretty quiet at night and on weekends. Some of the sandwhich shops in the area don%26#39;t even open on the weekend. That said, either area is safe and convenient. As we often say here, it doesn%26#39;t make much difference exactly where you stay since Boston is small and easy to get around on foot and by subway.

I think with the kids you might want to take a trolley tour. You can get on and off, so it can combine riding with walking, in case the kids get ';too whiny';.

Most of the things you mentioned are near the Financial District - not Back Bay. That includes the Freedom Trail, Aquarium and Harbor Area, Trollies. The science Museum is also closer.

1) We would like to visit MOS, Freedom Trail, Fenway Park and possibly the Aquarium. We are looking at staying either in the Financial District or Back Bay. Any suggestions?

Both areas are fine, I would go with the hotel that offers you the best rate. But here a few places to check out: The Residence Inn at Tudor Wharf in Charlestown near the USS Constitution and on the Freedom Trail, they offers kitchenettes which is bonus when traveling as a family. The Marriott Long Wharf would be in an ideal location for you, located right next to the New England Aquarium, The Marriott Custom House or The InterContinental.

2) We plan on spending a full day exploring the Freedom Trail. Is it feasible to start the day at the Public Garden and work our way along the Freedom Trail, or, would this be considered ';too much';?

Yes, It is feasible to start at The Public Garden if you start very early and then continue to the Boston Common to start the Freedom Trail but make sure you take a Swan Boat ride and see the ';Make Way for Ducklings Statues'; while in the Public Garden. If you skip most of the fee required buildings of The Freedom Trail, you probably can finish the Trail in one very long day. I would highly recommend going to the USS Constitution, the USS Constitution Museum (there is a hands on exhibit upstairs that most children really enjoy) and climbing up to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument.

3) Would we want to take a walking tour? or a trolley tour? We are interested in going at our own pace w/ stops at shops, eateries, and all the ';tourist hot spots.'; We are looking to spend anywhere from 4 to 8 hours exploring and don%26#39;t know by what means is the best plan.

The Freedom Trail offers self guides that you can walk it yourself. I would also recommend taking a Boston Duck Tour just because it is fun and you can get a different perspective of the city up high on the Duck Boats. They usually allow children to drive them once they are in the Charles River. Your kids will probably enjoy it and it is a great ';Kodak moment';.

4) Is it feasible to do the New England Aquarium and MOS in one day? We usually like to do the planetarium and Imax shows as well as all of the exhibits while visiting Science Museums, so, MOS would be a higher priority for us than the Aquarium.

It does not take too long to do the New England Aquarium so it is doable to do both but your kids will be tired at the end of the day. I would also recommend the Boston Children%26#39;s Museum, on another day. It is one of the best children%26#39;s museums in the country. They offer $1.00 nights after 5 PM on Fridays.

5) Finally, are whale watching tours out of Boston any more or less recommendable than the whale watching tours out of Cape Cod? We will be heading to Cape Cod from Boston and don%26#39;t know if we should save a Whale Watching tour for then. Any recommendations?

I think you are probably best to save the whale watch for your visit at the Cape. That way you can pick the calmest and warmest day to go out to see the whales.

You will be busy and tired while in Boston and will need alot of R%26amp;R once you reach the Cape! Enjoy!

Hi,

Although I don%26#39;t have children myself, I%26#39;d say that trying to do the entire Freedom Trail all in one day, or trying to do both the MOS and the Aquarium in one day, would really be too much.

You don%26#39;t want cranky and tired kids dragging around, I%26#39;d imagine.

I might suggest a walk in the morning, and then a trolley or Duck tour in the afternoon, perhaps. Or, take a guided walking tour of part of the Freedom Trail, and then finish the rest another day on your own.

I know that I could easily spend 5 hours or so in the MOS alone, if I went through every exhibit, stopped to play around with the interactive stuff, went to a Planetarium show, stopped for lunch and the gift shop.

The Aquarium is definitely a half-day (3 hours or so) affair at most. If I were forced to choose between the two, I%26#39;d pick the MOS and save the aquarium for another time. Personally, I%26#39;d rather have a leisurely and fun time at the MOS and not rush through it like crazy people.

I can%26#39;t answer the whale watch question, because I%26#39;ve never been on the ones from the Cape. I%26#39;d imagine they all end up in the same place and for the same reasons...to see whales.

As for hotels, the Omni Parker House would be a perfect location for you, right in the heart of Boston and near everything you plan to visit, or at least near Park St. T, from where you can pick up a train to the MOS and most other places too far to walk.

OOPS...one of these days, TA will allow you to edit these posts...

I wanted to give you a link to an excellent group that does walking tours. They have a Heart of the Freedom Trail tour, which might suit you well:

bostonbyfoot.org/tours/Heart_of_the_Freedom_鈥?/a>

Hello there mnhubby...

If you provide your exact dates of travel, I would be happy to run a hotel search for you. I like finding good deals for other folks...

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